St Johnstone got back on the winning trail today after their 5-0 drubbing from Celtic at Parkhead last Sunday.

But only a first-half penalty separated them and visitors Dundee United in what was a scrappy encounter.

The defeat plunges dismal United deeper into relegation trouble.

Apart from a brief spell late in the second half they still appeared to be suffering from their midweek hangover after drawing 0-0 in the Cup against Queen's Park.

Even new signing David Hannah - a £600,000 buy from Celtic - failed to inspire the Tannadice side, and they are firmly anchored in the Premier League's second bottom slot.

The three points for Saints keep them in the top four, but manager Sandy Clark will be far from happy with his side's lacklustre performance.

Saints' one-goal lead always looked vulnerable, but the Perth rearguard weathered a late challenge from United which saw goalkeeper Sieb Dykstra in the hosts' penalty area for a last-minute corner.

The Perth goal came after nine minutes when Magnus Skoldmark bundled Roddy Grant off the ball. Full-back Gary Bollan gave the United goalkeeper no chance, floating the ball into the corner of the net.

Chances for either side were few and far between in the first half.

John McQuillan did pose a threat in the 21st minute, but his cross into the danger area was headed clear by Jason De Vos.

United tried hard to get back on level terms in the second period, and Alex Mathie should have done better after a blunder by the Perth defence in the 39th minute. He delayed too long, though, and Bollan did enough to stop him getting in his shot.

The visitors appealed for a penalty in the 55th minute, but referee Jim McCluskey ruled that the ball had accidentally struck John O'Neil on the arm.

United then applied a sustained spell of pressure. Hannah headed just over the crossbar on the hour; O'Neil kicked clear a net-bound Craig Easton shot on 77 minutes, and then Erik Pedersen drove just wide in the 84th.

Saints were defending furiously, and Bollan kicked clear a Billy Dodds cross. Then a Steven Thompson header was held just under the bar by Main.

The hosts could have added a second, however, in the 76th minute when Bollan got his head to an O'Neil corner. It seemed destined for the top corner, but Dykstra somehow got a hand to the ball and touched it over for a corner.

Teams:

St Johnstone: Main, McQuillan, Kernaghan, Griffin, Bollan, Dods, Scott, Kane, O'Neil, Grant (McMahon 87), Simao (Lowndes 60).

Subs Not Used: Robertson, McBride, McAnespie.

Goals: Bollan 9 pen.

Dundee Utd: Dykstra, Malpas, Pedersen, Skoldmark, De Vos, Olofsson (Miller 70), Hannah, Easton (Patterson 85), Jonsson, Mathie (Thompson 70), Dodds.

Subs Not Used: Dolan, Combe.

Booked: Pedersen.

Att: 5,771

Ref: J McCluskey (Stewarton).